Rwanda’s long distance runners Jean Marie Vianney Myasiro and Salome Nyirarukundo will, for the first time, compete at this year’s 27th edition of Silvesterlauf, a New Year’s Eve City Race in the southwestern German city of Trier.

The 10km road race is staged every 31st of December where the best German runners, international athletes, hobby athletes, and senior citizens, celebrate the conclusion of the year.

This will be the first time that Rwandan athletes will take part in the race after event organisers invited the Rwandans to be part of the one-day race, according to Rwanda Athletics Federation (RAF) Secretary General Johnson Rukundo.

"They wanted young athletes and we selected Nyirarukundo and Myasiro who are already in training in their respective clubs,” said Rukundo.

18-year-old Nyirarukundo, who will compete in the women category, will be hoping to maintain her perfect form after an outstanding season of 2015/16.

Last month, the Rutsiro-born runner became the first Rwandan athlete to win the same regional gold medal for two consecutive years – retaining the Dar-es-Salaam Rotary Half Marathon having also won it in 2015.

Earlier in May, Nyirarukundo was the only Rwandan to make it to the podium in the Kigali International Peace Half Marathon, winning a silver medal.

She also made her debut in the Africa Senior Athletics Championship that was held in June in Durban, South Africa, where she finished fourth in the 10,000m and qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

In Rio, Nyirarukundo did not impress though, finishing 27th out 35 participants, clocking 32:07:80.

Nonetheless, she still managed to come top in the IAAF annual rankings, with a total of 1168 points followed by 18-year-old Beatha Nishimwe, who collected 1142 points while Honorine Iribagiza, 17, came in third place with 1118 points.

Likewise, her compatriot, Myasiro, will also be hoping to add on his current track and field record in 10,000m which he set in July this year during the 2016 IAAF World Junior Athletics Championships that took place in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Myasiro broke a 12-year national record in 10,000m. The youngster clocked 29:26:16 to finish in the 11th place out of 34 athletes, effectively breaking the record of 29:35:41 that was set by Valence Bivahagumye in 2004 in Italy in a similar event.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw